The Irish standard., 1887-08-27
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
Tim Croak laid the fox gently on ;
bench by the Greside, and drawing ;
chair SO that he could rest his foot OF
the hob, lighted his black dhudeen fol
the twentieth time that day, resolved t.
have smoke this time. Matt HaZlit
took q long. new pipe-quite g contrast
to Tim 's--fro1n q shelf, and made him
self comfortable OH the opposite side o.
the fire, but showing by occasional
twitches OF the nose, as his eye turned
towards the bench, chat his hatred OF
his OLD enemy had not died with him.
The devil all honester fox in Nun
ster,' says Tim.
The devil bigger rogue, you mean.
We'll, stay aisy till [ tell you now
Wan mornin' durin the hard frost !
missed my two white ducks. and
though knew twas hard for him to
get a chance, the people wor on their
guard SO much, the foxes got sioh bad
name sence the money got scarce wild
the club. and they stopped feetiin' 'em
reg lar, still the not wan Of roe sus-
pected him for takin' the ducks. Any
/ way, see sOmethin' white over to the
right OF the elder bush-where you shot
the rabbit the day.
Il know the place. says Matt, giving
Button, who began to snarl at his dc.
funct enemy, q smart rap On the head
with his knuckles.
Well Tim continued, down l went,
an there was the two white heads OF
my two white ducks, and the wings ano
feathers in heap. thought it Was
wan O. the Kill foxes that chanced to
come serenadin' over this way. I see
somethin' movin through the furze, an
I made q dart, thinkin' to have petit
at the strange fox, as thought, at any
rate, when he be passin' the open. I
was just risin' my waffle, when he
turned round and looked at me. If it
was my own father that robbed me, I
couldn t be more surprised
Matt Hazlitt pointed with his pipe to
the dead fox.
Yes says Tim Croak. twas him.;
Matt bent back in his chair and
laughed.
'Oh, but aisy till | tell y it all, con-
tinued Tim. I looked at him, an he
looked at me. took the heads Of my
two white ducks in me hand: BE off,
you robher,' says I, AN wud that /
pelted the ducks heads at him, ali
away wud him as fast as his legs could
carry him. The next mornin' when |
got up, the first thing l see was two
white ducks outside the door, an the
lad on his grug mindin en-.
Were the ducks alive?' inquired
Matt.
ALIVE? Go up an look at EN-. An
where he got 'em [ can't make out,
But maybe twas twenty miles he tray-
elled for en-
by the law says Matt Hazlitt, L m
inclined to believe you after what he
did to myself
What was that?'
Didn't I tell you before?'
No, says Tim; 'or if you did, /. dis
reminder
We'll. one evening last harvest was
securing a few stacks in the tive-acre
field, as the wind was rising, and I ex-
pected we'd have q storm afore morn
in Twas just dusk when [ was hn-
ished. I thought of the fox--he was
after taking a lot Of young turkeys
from Mrs. Purcell the same Week-and |
1 thought ! might as we'll turn home
5he geese that were out on the stubbles.
[ was drivin' 'em on fair an aisy by the
crab -d1itcll-and by The same token the
crabs we're fallin' like hailstones with
every strong blast O. wind-when the
geese all screeched and clapped their
wings, and riz from the ground, and off
with 'em like a white cloud over the
ditch towards the house. One goose
didn't fly (and no blame to her,) and
when / see her runnin' along the path
afore me, I walked fast to get up with
her. When KEN out from the shade
Of the ditch, saw that the goose was
runnil.' on four feet instead of two,
Aye, aye,' says Tim Croak, with a
grin of delight.
L had pitchfork in my hand. Matt
Hazlitt continued, tan' swore he'd